Fishing Stilwell Lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario

• Overview

  Thunder Bay District, Ontario, is where Stilwell Lake sits. The surface lies 278 metres up. Roughly 1.03 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Shoreline length is close to 10 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Manitouwadge lies 45 km from the water. The nearest city of size is Thunder Bay, 285 km away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Stilwell Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Thunder Bay District include cisco, blackfin cisco, rainbow smelt and bloater. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Read Stilwell Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -18°C at the bottom of winter. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Stilwell Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Peppard Lake is 2.9 km off. Nothing on Stilwell Lake should be assumed from this page alone.